Latch mechanism for desk tops



S. S. STEPHENSON Filed Aug. 15, 1938 y 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

LATCH MEGHANISM FOR DESK TOPS June 6, 1939. f

June 6, 1'939.

i S. S. STEPHENSON LATCH MECHANISM FOR DESK TOPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR f4/wf MM ATTORNEYS.

- at its top. 5 is a desk top or'movable desk top Patented June 6, 193%,9

PATENT ori-ics L'A'rcn MEcnANIsM Foa DEs'x Tors Samuel -S. Stephenson, New York, N. Y., assigner to The 0. M. Edwards Company, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation ofNew Yorkv f Application August 15, 1938, Serial No. 224,922

7 claims. This invention relates to desks, wherein the desk top can be raised and lowered and i-s guided in .its movement by links below the desk top, and preferably links having a parallelogram action, and has for its object, a lock or latch arrangement by means of which the desk top is 4locked in'closed position, wherein it closes a receptacle beneath the desk topland in an open or elevated position, which lock or latch means is carried on the under side of the desk top, 'and when theA In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like,

-characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

, ,"Figure 1 is a vertical. fragmentary sectional-v J view through the upper portionv of the desk, the

position of the desk top, when in open position,

being indicated in broken line.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation looking to the right in Figure 1. Y

Figure 3 is anenlarged isometric view of the latch mechanism- I designates the body of the desk,vwhich may be of any suitable form, size'and construction, it'

being usually of a sheet metal construction including hollow legs 2 and al sheeting, not'shown, connecting them. 3 designates a receptacle supported in the upper part of the body and open section and-6 a permanent top section covering the rear portion of the receptacle- The sections 5, 6 are also formed up of sheet metal with suitable top coverings.'

1 and 8 designate respectively links for guiding the movable top Section5 intoand out of closed position, the links having a parallelogram action, the link l being pivoted at one end at 9 within the receptacle and atits'other end at I0 to the desk top on the u nder side thereof.V likewise pivoted at one end at I2 within the receptaclevand at its other end 'at I3 to the under side of the desk top. There are links 1 and 8 at -each side of the receptacle and the desk top the rock shaft extending outside of the recepta- The link 8 isv Likewise, the links 8 on opposite sides of the receptacle and desk top are pivoted to the desk top by a rigid rod I 3, the ends of which constitute the pivot- I3. The latch means coacts. with the links 8 which are thel rearmost with re- 5 spect to the front of the desk.

-As seen in Figure 2, each link "I is inclined in.- wardly slightly and has a hub I4 fixed to the rod I Il, and the end of the rod constituting the pivot I0 is mounted in a hollow or double walled rib lI5 on the under side of the desk top. 'I'he rib has a movable lower plate I6 held in position by a screw il so that the rib and the removable plate IS form a split bearing. A torsion kspring I8 acts on each of the'arms l and tends to move the desk top toward closed position. There is also a removable bearing portion or split bearing I9 for the rod IIIi at the inner side of each link 'I. The Asplit bearing I9 as well as the split bearing ori removable plate I6 vpermit the rod Ill to be demounted for the purpose of replacing the spring I8 when broken. The links l, 8 on the opposite side of the receptacle are duplicates of those shown in Figures 1 and 2.'

When the desk is-swung into open position, surfaces 20 and 2| atthe outer ends of the links 1,

8 bear flatwise on the under side of the desk top v 5 and brace the desk top Ain open position.

This invention lies primarily in lock or latch means'for holding the desk top in open or elevated positionor in closed position. This lock means comprises a rock shaft 22 mounted at its ends in the ribs I5, latches 23 mounted on opf'posite ends of the rock shaft, keepers, as studs 24, mounted on the side walls of the receptacle, with whichv the latch coacts, when the top is closed, and keepers 25 at the outer ends of the links 8 near where said links are pivoted at Il to the desk top, andan operating member for cle. The latches cooperate with the keepers 25 o vwhen the desk top is open. AThe rock shaft is located parallelto and near the rod I3 connecting ,thelinks8. y 3. A

The latches or the operating members are spring-pressed. The latches-*23 may be of any suitable construction and are shown as` having hub portions 28-which are preferably welded to ythe ends of the rock shaft 22. The operating A member is shown as a fiat rod or strap lying close -to the under side ofthe desk top 5 and extending at its inner end through a slot `2l in a lug or rock arm 28 depending from the intermediate portion of the shaft 22 and vsecured thereto, usually by welding. The operating member or strap has a hook or lug which interlocks with the lug or rock arm 23 through the slot 21.

The operating member or strap is also formed near its front end with an upwardly extending offset 29 which bridges the edge ofthe front wall and the receptacle and which extends through aguide s lot formed in a lug 30 depending from the desk top. `The operating member also has a suitable finger-piece 3| on the end thereof out-s side of the receptacle. A spring'normally thrusts the operating member into such position` as to; cause the latches 23 to ratchet into engagementwith the keepersor studs 2l or the keepers 25.

This spring 32 is here shown as interposed between the lug 30 and an upstanding lug v33 on the operating member or strap. The spring' 32 e'ncircles a stud 34 iixed in a suitable hole 35 in the lug 33 and slidable in a perforation in the lug 30.

The links 3 are provided with suitable guide or ratcheting surfaces 36 leading to the. 'keepers` front wall of the receptacle and having a member or arm 38 -which moves into and out of the offset 29. When the key operated lock is unlocked,- movement of the operating memberor strap outwardly by pulling force applied to the fingerpiece 3| moves the latches 23 out of engagement with the studs or keepers 24 permitting the desk top to be moved upwardly into open position, indicated in'broken line (Figure 1), the desk top maintaining a substantially horizontal position during this movement owing to the parallelogram action ofthe links 1, 8.v When the desk top approaches its fully open position, the latches 23 being urged by the spring 32- engage -t-he guide-or ratchetng surface 36 and finally move into engagement with the keepers 24 on the links 8 when the desk top is in fully open position. Movement of the operating member by pulling force applied to the finger-piece 3I,.

against the action'of the spring 32, releases the v latches 23v from the keepers 25, lso that the desk top can return 'or be returned to its closed position.

AThe latch mechanismv and its correlation 'to' open at its top, a desk top arranged to normally form a cover for the receptacle and movable from closed position upwardly, means for guiding the desk top during the opening and closing movement and maintaining it in substantially horizontal position including links, each pivoted at one end tothe body and at its other end to the desktop, the links normally occupying a lyingdown position andmovable into a standing position when the desk is open, and locking means including a latch carried by the desk top and a keeper associated with the receptacle with which the latch co'acts when the top is closed, one of the links having a keeper thereon with which the latch coacts when the desk top is open,and an operating member carried by the desk top for,

tripping the latch.

2. In a desk, a suitable body having a receptacle open at itsltop, a. desk top 'arranged to normally form a. cover for the receptacle and mov-` able from closed position upwardly. means for guiding the desk top during ,the opening and closing movement and maintaining it in substantially horizontall position including links, each v'pivoted at one end to the body and at its other end tothe desk top, the links normally occupying a lying-down position and movable into a standing position when the desk' is open, and locking means including a latch carried by the. desk top and a keeper associated with the receptacle with which the latch coacts when the desk top is closed, said latch and .keeper being located near the end of one 'of said links. where it is pivoted to the desk top, when the desk top is closed, andA said one of the links having a keeper coacting with the latch when the desk top is open.

3. In a desk, a suitable body having a receptacle open at its top, a desk top arranged to norf mally form a cover for the receptacle and movable from closed position upwardly, means forl guiding the desk top during the kopening and closing movement and maintaining it in substantially horizontal position including links, each pivoted at one end to the body and at its other end to the desk top, the links normally occupy- `ing a lying-down-fpositon and` movable into a standing'position "when Ythedesk is open, and.

locking means including a latch carried by the desk top and-jakeeper associated with the receptacle with which the latch coacts when the desk top is closed, saidglatch and.keeper being located .2 near the end of one of said links where it is able from closed position upwardly, means forguiding the desk top during the opening and closing movement and maintaining it in substantially horizontal position when open including two pairs of links, each pivoted at opposite ends to the body and to the desk top, the links having a parallelogram action and normally occupying a lying-down position and movable into a standing position when the desk is open, a rock shaft carried by the top on the under side thereof and extending parallel and `adjacent to the pivotal axis between one pair of links and the desk top, locking means including latches mounted on opposite sides of said rock shaft to rock therewith, keepers on.the receptacle with'which the latches normally coact,a keeper on the end of each of the links of said one of the pairs wherthe same are pivoted to the desk top, the latches coacting respectively with-the latter keepers when the desk top is open, and an operating member on the under side of the top and extending out of the,

receptacle, the operating member being con! nected to the rock shaft to rock the same.-

5. In a desk, a `suitable body having a receptacle open at its top, a desk top arranger. to normally form a cover for the receptacle and movable from closed position upwardly, means for guiding the' desk top during the opening and closing movement and maintaining it in substantially 2,101,323' horizontal position when open,v including links pivoted at opposite ends to the body and to the de sk top, theA links having a paralielogram action an'd normally occupying a lying-down position and movable into a standing position when the desk is open, a rod rigidly connecting one of the links at one side of the desk top-with a similar link at the opposite side of the desktop, a rock shaft carried by the desk top on the under side thereof and extending parallel to the pivotal axis between the link and the de'sk top, locking means including said rock shaft and latches on said rock shaft to rock therewith, keepers on the receptacle with which the latches normally coact, keepers on the end of each of the adjacent links wherethe 4 same are pivoted to the desktop, the latches coacting respectively with the latter keepers when 'the desk top is openand an operating member on the under side of the top and extending out of the receptacle, the operating member being connected to the rock shaft to rock the same.

6.- In a desk, a suitable body having a receptacle open at its top, a desk top arranged to normally form a cover-furthe receptacle and movable from closed position upwardly, means for guiding the desk top during the opening and closing movement and maintaining it in substantially horizontal position when open, including links pivoted at opposite ends to the body and to the' desk top, the links having a parallelogram action and` normally occupying a lying-down position and movable'into a standingV position when the desk is open, a rod rigidly connecting one of the links Aat one side of the desk top Iwith a similar link. atthe opposite side of the desk top, a rock shaft carried by the desk top onthe under side thereof and extending parallel tothe pivotal'axis between lthe link and the desk top, locking means including said rock shaft and latches on said rock shaft i' to rock therewith, keepers on thev receptacle with which the latches normally coact, keepers on the end of each of the adjacent links where thesame 'are pivoted to the desk top, the latches coasting respectively with-the latter keepers when the desk top is open, and an operating member on the underside of the top and extending out of-the receptacle, the operating member being connected to the rock shaft to rock the same, the links provided with the keepers being also formed with 'ratcheting surfaces for guiding the latch into coaction with the keepers of said links.

7. In a desk, a suitable body having a receptacle operi at its top, va desk top arranged to normally form a cover for the receptacle and movable from closed position upwardly, means for guiding the desk top during thecpening and closing movement and maintaining it in substantially horizontal position when open, including llinks pivoted at opposite ends to the body and to the desk top, the links having a parallelogram action and normally occupying a lying-down position and movable into a standing position when the ldesk is open, a rod rigidly connecting one of the links at one side of the desk top with a similar link at the opposite side of the desk top, a rock shaft carried bythe desk top on the under side thereof and extending parallel to the pivotal axis between the link and the desk top, locking means including said rock shaft and latches on said rock shaft to rock therewith, keepers on the recepta- `c'le with which the latches normally coact, keepers on. the end of each of the adjacent links where the same are pivoted to the desk top, the'latches coacting respectively with the latter keepers whenv the desk topA is open. and an operating member on the under side of the top and extending out of 'the receptacle, the operating member-being connected to the rock shaft to rock the same,

the operating member havingan offset extending over the edge of a wall of the receptacle, and a key-operatedV lock mounted in said wall of the receptacle having a member operable into and out of said oset/ ff SAMUEL S. STEPHENSON. 

